Posted on 06/08/2005 10:01:12 AM PDT by Millee
Valid theory. Abuse of animals is wrong. Dying in the process of trying to save an animal is not very wise. Reminds me of Vicki Moore, the radical anti-bullfighting activist who went to Spain (I believe) and was protesting a running of the bulls in the street when she was almost literally torn to pieces by the very bull she was trying to "protect". She was gored 11 times, had 8 ribs broken, her lung and bowels pierced and I can't remember what else happened to her. Died five years later from complications. Darwin Award material.
wow that sucks, if you swerve, that makes the accident at fault whereas if you just smash head onto into the deer or moose that's an bona fide accident
I thought there was a legal principle that if you have the opportunity to avoid an accident you are supposed to take it otherwise you can be held partially liable
well you know insurance companies, they probably do apply both principles to limit their payout
now this might not apply to turtles but I do know that if a human picks up the young of certain animals, the mother may reject that baby animal when she catches whiff of the human scent and then the baby will starve and die
Being one of the very few white people in that NYC neighborhood and mono-lingual, I guess my self preservation instincts just kicked in. The fact that as I was a 50+yr. old, bachelor loner, I fit the profile. This is something that is always in the back of my mind when dealing with youngsters. My first reaction was to grab her, then the brain went into overdrive. Even today, here in rural WV, when kids are playing in my stretch of the creek. I have them call home so their parents Know where they are.
I wouldn't be so hasty. 6 year olds are six year olds.
Abject training of the child as well is obvious. This is so sad, but so predictable. How in the world can that mother live with herself knowing that her daughter died for a filthy, soulless turtle?
Let's not take potshots at the turtle.
Her mother will likely reflect that her six year old did a stupid but very six year old thing.
My children are taught on a regular basis that one does not even swerve sharply for some animal in the road.
If it's a nie big white tail deer - or anything else big enough to seriously damage your car - you might consider making an exception. As traffic and road conditions permit, of course.
Do a google on Queens Blvd. in NYC. You may also try "Blvd. of Death."
And down here in Collier and Lee Counties, we don't lack for "seasoned" drivers.
Or immigrants, either, for that matter.
I always slow down or pull over into the next lane if there's a car on the side of the highway. Dad could be trying to change a tire. One of the kids could run out into the highway as happened here. It's always a hazard that requires your full attention. you cannot (or should not) just barrel on by oblivious to potential dangers associated with a car with people in or around it that has pulled over on the side of the road. If you just blast on by, sure you're legally in the clear, but you may end up with a dead child on your conscience. Perhaps you don't, but I think it's worth the extra effort to be cautious.
Here in Texas they just passed a law saying that if you see a policeman on the side of the road, you have to slow down at least 20 mph below the speed limit as you pass or move over to the next lane.
"How in the world can that mother live with herself knowing that her daughter died for a filthy, soulless turtle? "
Its a shame the child died.
The comments about the turtle are kind of weird. Kind of judgemental, don't you think?
Her child died because she tried to save another living thing and her motivations were pure but her choice was not a wise one, but then she was only a child. Sometimes evil things happen to good people, and there is no explanation for them. They happen. Sad, but its reality.
I've stopped to move or chase animals out of traffic, but then I'm old enough to know what I'm doing.
And of course, if you have to make a choice between an accident and an animal, you avoid the accident. But in my experience, in the overwhelming number of cases, you don't have to plow mindlessly over some poor creature trying to cross the road. As for the jerk who's tail-gating me - that's HIS problem for driving like a lunatic.
A driver ahead of me swerved to avoid a line of cute little fuzzy duckies, and his vehicle launched into the air after hitting the 12inch cement divider. That vehicle came down like a spear through the windshield of an oncoming Honda, pinning the driver.
It took the fire department well over an hour to remove the woman ... I'm sure she didn't make it.
These days my truck only swerves to avoid very large moose who can come through my own windshield. I figure it's God's job to protect my fuzzy friends .... it's my job to protect myself and my fellow humans.
I agree with you totally. I taught my children never to run into the road for any reason.
Now I, on the other hand, do stop for animals, and I do run out in the road to save dogs, cats, opossums, etc. However, I check my review mirror and check beside me. I look both ways before running out into the road. I would never want to endanger another driver, but I am not going to leave an animal out there to be killed or injured. BTW, my children are all grown and married with children of their own. So I can do what I want now.
"last clear chance" that is what it's called, thanks, and right hitting an animal is part of your comprehensive coverage not your collision coverage......
It's Cooper's "situational awareness" doctrine, applied to driving instead of shooting.
I like that term - "situational awareness"
but now you have people with cell phones, fax machines and god forbid TV screens in their vehicles so "situational awareness" is certainly on the decline
my other pet peeve is people who do not signal lane changes even on 6 and 8 lane highways in heavy traffic so I gotta be a mind reader now too.....
Not true. It's a common myth that parent birds will abandon young that have been touched by humans—most birds have a poor sense of smell and are probably unable to detect the scent of humans on their eggs or nests.
"Not from Florida, are 'ya? In this state, you could be dying of a seizure in the middle of the road and people would be blowing their horns for you to get out their way."
Yeah, that's true.
That being said, later today, after my 2 toddler grandsons have gone home to continue their attempts to take over the world and I have cleaned up this formerly tidy household and given the dogs their tranquilizers,....I have been thinking a lot about the minds of parents. I have a few things to say. They might not be profound....but if you have teenagers, they might make you think. (duh, guess that makes it a vanity, huh?)
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